Wasim Akram favours Shastri to continue as India's team director

Kolkata, April 4: Advising selectors not to wield the axe after India's World T20 semi-final exit, Pakistan cricket legend Wasim Akram believes Ravi Shastri should continue as the team director.

"None of the teams from the sub-continent could reach the final of the WT20. For (Indian skipper) M.S. Dhoni and his boys the setback is all the more as they were being considered hot favourites on home soil," Akram said in an exclusive column for the Bengali tabloid Ebela.

"I have come across reports that Ravi Shastri's term has ended and the authorities were mulling bringing a new coach. I think, if Shastri is willing, he should be in the hot seat."

The former speedster said foreign coaches had worked with the Indian team earlier, but Shastri and his coaching team has shown that indigenous coaches were not inferior to the foreigners.

Pointing out that the Indian team lost eight consecutive Test matches under erstwhile coach Duncan Fletcher, Akram said Shastri has boosted the team's morale after taking over responsibility.

"The Indians have white-washed Australia in T20. More importantly, one can again see the Indian team being moulded into a fighting unit which is not loathe to look at the opponents eye to eye," he said.

Praising Shastri, he said he can not only raise the team morale, but also has vast technical knowledge.

"I don't know what the Indian cricket administrators are thinking. But I will be surprised if Shastri is removed".